Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN · Public
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Tennessee State University admitted 70.1% of applicants university-wide (6,773 of 9,660).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 70.1% | 6,773 | 9,660 |
| Men | 65.6% | 1,997 | 3,045 |
| Women | 72.3% | 4,763 | 6,590 |
Of 6,773 admitted students, 880 enrolled (13.0% yield).
Tennessee State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 880–1050
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 16–21
Testing policy: Required
Tennessee State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $35,166/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $22,416 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $12,750 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $35,166/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $15,005 |
| $30k–48k | $15,840 |
| $48k–75k | $15,579 |
| $75k–110k | $20,624 |
| Over $110k | $20,099 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Academic Service Scholarship — Up to $6,000 per year (Automatic)
- Dean's Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- University Scholarship — $3,000 per year (Merit)
- Tennessee State University Grant — $1,000 - $2,000 per year (Need Based)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Provost Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Academic Service Scholarship — Up to $6,000 per year (Automatic)
- Dean's Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- University Scholarship — $3,000 per year (Merit)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Provost Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Tennessee State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- High School Transcript
- ACT or SAT Scores
- College Transcripts (if transfer)
- Health Forms
- Application fee
International applicants
- High School Transcript
- ACT or SAT Scores
- College Transcripts (if transfer)
- Health Forms
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Tennessee State University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Tennessee State University requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $42,730
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 34%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 33%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $27,000
- At graduation
Tennessee State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #395
- WSJ: #524
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (17%), Psychology (8%), Biological & life sciences (7%).
Tennessee State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.